Handout photo from the City of Bloomington: Ribbon cutting at the new Arlington Park neighborhood, located at the corner of N Telluride St and N Breckenridge Rd on the northwest side of Bloomington. In the background are some of the 45 lots ready for workforce homeownership development.
From left front row: Tracee Lutes, BHA Board; Nate Ferreira, BHA Director of Real Estate Development and Summit Hill Land Trust; Alex Bollero, Trinitas Ventures; Mayor John Hamilton; Elaine Amerson, BHA Board; Charles Webb, Clear Creek Homes; Lindsey Boswell, Habitat for Humanity. From left back row: Glenn Ball, Habitat for Humanity; City Council Member Steve Volan.
Staff report
Bloomington, Indiana – October 13, 2023
Mayor John Hamilton, alongside City Council Member Stephen Volan, Trinitas Ventures Project Engineer Alex Bollero, and Director of Real Estate Development for Bloomington Housing Authority (BHA) Nathan Ferreira, led a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Arlington Park workforce housing neighborhood, according to a press release from the City of Bloomington.
According to the city, the groundbreaking project on Bloomington’s northwest side signifies a significant step towards affordable homeownership opportunities.
Approved by the Bloomington City Council and Mayor Hamilton in March 2020 through Ordinance 20-04, the Arlington Park development covers a 41-acre site, comprising 334 rental units and an additional 45 ready-to-build lots designated for home ownership. The developer of the rental units committed to delivering these 45 buildable lots to the City, complete with infrastructure, at no cost, according to the city.
The City’s plan is to collaborate with Summit Hill Community Development Corporation, the land trust affiliated with BHA, to assume ownership of these lots. They will then work in partnership with developers to create permanently affordable homes. The zoning for this area allows for a range of housing types, including single-family, duplexes, and triplexes, mirroring the character of traditional pre-World War II neighborhoods with mixed housing types, alleys, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
Mayor Hamilton expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Over the past eight years, Bloomington has added hundreds of units of workforce rental housing. With the Arlington Park development, we’re focusing on home ownership opportunities for qualifying families. This neighborhood will offer a very desirable mix of housing types and styles to own, and we’re delighted to join the robust partnerships that are making this happen.”
The Community Land Trust, overseen by Summit Hill Community Development Corporation, will spearhead development efforts. Habitat for Humanity and Clear Creek Homes have joined forces with Summit Hill to construct homes in the coming months. Bloomington Transit has also expanded Route 10 to include bus service to the area, further enhancing accessibility.
A key feature of the Arlington Park project is the utilization of a community land trust, which offers homeownership opportunities for low- to moderate-income households, according to the city. It utilizes a shared-equity model to ensure permanent affordability. To provide interested parties with more information, an information session on how to purchase a home in Arlington Park is scheduled for Thursday, October 19, 2023, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the downtown Monroe County Library, 303 E Kirkwood Ave, room 2B.
Workforce housing, a critical need in many communities, targets families and individuals whose income falls between 80% and 120% of the area median income (AMI), according to the city. These individuals generally earn more than what qualifies for federally subsidized affordable housing but still face challenges affording market-rate housing.
For more details on the City of Bloomington’s efforts to create attainable housing for its residents, visit bloomington.in.gov/housing/affordable.
